We'll Always Have Pittsburgh
by QuinnSt
Summary: Brooke is an intense hockey fan who finds herself falling for a rookie on the Penguins in 2006. How will their story play out over the next 7 years?


**Nov. 13, 2006-Pittsburgh**

"Would you hurry up! I am not missing a second of this game because you couldn't decide how you wanted to do your makeup!" Brooke yelled angrily at her sister.

"Hey, you never know if one of those hockey players is going to notice you sitting in the stands. Gotta make sure you look your best, sis." Olivia said while adding her fifth layer of mascara.

Brooke was a little less than two years younger than Olivia, who had recently turned 19. However, it seemed like they lived in two different worlds. Olivia was your typical girl, loved her makeup and designer clothes, while Brooke on the other hand enjoyed the simpler things in life. Brooke was not a tom boy by any means, just a little less superficial than her older sister. The two sisters lived twenty minutes outside of Pittsburgh with their parents. That would be changing next year, Brooke was planning on attending the University of Pittsburgh. She could not wait to thrive in the city and finally live on her own. But for now, she just wanted to leave the house so they wouldn't miss the beginning of the highly anticipated hockey game against her beloved Pittsburgh Penguins and their rivalry from across the state, the Philadelphia Flyers. Olivia could not care less about hockey, she just wanted to go stare at Sidney Crosby. Brooke, however, loved hockey more than anything.

"Okay okay, I am ready!" Olivia yelled as she ran down the steps. She turned to grab her keys off of the kitchen counter.

"Oh no! I am driving! We will be at least an hour late if you drive." Brooke said as they walked out the door. Olivia didn't even bother arguing, she had a tendency of getting lost and then driving twenty miles under the speed limit.

The girls were off to the game and Brooke could not be happier. This was the first game she had been to since last season. There were plenty of new guys on the team that she was anxious to watch. The Pens ended up winning with a final score of 3-2. Three of the youngest guys scored for Pittsburgh that night, Crosby, Staal and Malkin. Brooke hadn't noticed how gorgeous the rookie Jordan Staal actually was until that night. She was never one to get caught up in a fantasy world, so she tried to forget all about him.

"Don't hate me, but some of the girls texted me and asked if I wanted to go hang out with them at Pitt for the night...do you mind just going home without me?" Olivia asked as the girls were walking out of Mellon Arena.

"I don't mind at all Liv, I'm assuming they're already here to get you?" Before Brooke could even finish her sentence, Olivia's friends appeared out of nowhere and they all jumped into a car and were off. So much for a night out with her sister.

Brooke didn't really remember which parking garage she parked in so she walked around the arena waiting to spot something familiar. She saw the huge crowd of people awaiting the players' departure from their garage. It was far too cold for her to stand out and wait to watch cars speed past. After what seemed like hours, Brooke ended up in that very spot again, except all of the people were gone. Which meant that all of the players were gone, therefore she was practically the last person still there. She just could not figure out where she had parked! She spotted a bench she could sit on just to catch her breath. Suddenly a man's voice came out of nowhere.

"I don't know about you, but I think it's a little too cold to be sitting outside tonight."

Brooke quickly turned to see who was speaking to her and she couldn't believe her eyes. Jordan Staal stood outside of his car looking down at her. She tried to play it cool, as best she could.

"If it were up to me, I would be in my nice warm car. However, that's not possible right now because I cannot find my car." She said with chattering teeth.

"You're telling me that you lost your car?" he said with a slight smirk.

"I simply misplaced it, see, I just do not remember which parking garage I parked in. None of them look familiar." Brooke was thankful that the cold air had already made her cheeks red, because she sure was blushing!

"I know this seems creepy, but do you just want to get in my car and then we can figure out where you parked? It's freezing out here and I couldn't leave you by yourself. Plus I feel like my fingers are frozen just standing out here for two minutes, I can't imagine how cold you are." Jordan asked with a friendly smile.

Brooke could not believe this was actually happening. Jordan Staal seriously just asked her to get in his car. Maybe I passed out and this is all a dream or something, she thought. But as the silence grew, she realized this was not a dream, it was very real.

"Yes, I can't thank you enough!" She said as she scurried over to the passenger side of the car.

The car was so very warm and smelled like sweat mixed with soap. Clearly this car held a lot of hockey equipment. Jordan began driving after Brooke's door was closed.

"So, you got a name?" He asked playfully.

"I do, it's Brooke." She replied, growing nervous due to their new proximity to each other.

"Well Brooke, it's nice to meet you. I'm Jordan." He responded with a sincere smile.

Brooke wanted to scream 'I know who you are! Nearly every person in this city knows who you are!'. Instead, she played it off as calmly as she could.

"Thank you from saving me from pneumonia, Jordan." Brooke said with a giggle.

"Oh, it was my pleasure. What kind of car do you drive so I know what I am looking for?" He asked as they stopped at a red light in front of the arena.

"A blue Jeep Liberty. She normally sticks out like a sore thumb."

"How do you know what gender your car is?" Jordan asked while trying to suppress a laugh.

Brooke had never noticed she always referred to her Jeep as a she.

"Hmm, that's a good question! I have been calling it a girl since I got her, I guess it just came naturally." Brooke replied with a wide smile across her face.

"You're something else, Brooke" Jordan said as he turned into a parking garage.

As he turned up and down the ramps of the garage, Brooke was surprised by how comfortable she felt. The conversation was not forced, and the silence was not awkward. The two of them joked and laughed as they searched numerous parking garages. She was secretly praying they would not find her car any time soon.

"Jordan, I feel so bad! You are probably exhausted and I am sure this is the last thing you feel like doing." Brooke said as they failed to locate her car in the fourth parking garage they'd look through.

"Actually, I am really enjoying your company. I haven't gotten to be with somebody my age in awhile. It's nice being a teenager for a few hours." He said in a somewhat serious tone, but with a small smile playing across his lips.

Brooke simply smiled at him and looked out the window. This still felt like a dream. Everything in that moment was perfect. It all felt so right and so simple. Two teenagers getting to know one another while circling around countless parking garages.

"Oh my gosh! I love this song!" Brooke yelled when she heard 'You're Beautiful' by James Blunt on the radio.

"You actually enjoy this depressing music?" Jordan asked, not even trying to hide his smirk.

"Have you ever listened to the lyrics? It's so romantic and beautiful." Brooke said in a delicate voice.

As she said this, Jordan turned up the radio.

"I can think of a few things more beautiful than this song, but hey whatever makes you happy, kid." Jordan laughed.

"Hey, who are you calling kid? I am only a year younger than you!" Brooke said while playfully smacking his arm.

"I couldn't sleep last night and the only thing I could find to watch was _Casablanca_." Jordan responded quickly, "I guess it was a term of endearment, here's looking at you kid."

"I suppose this situation is a bit reminiscent of _Casablanca_." Brooke said as her smile grew.

"You're beautiful can be our 'As time goes by' I suppose." Jordan said, his smile growing even larger than Brooke's.

The two of them sat in silence while they listened to "their" song. Not only did the moment fit the same story line as the movie, but the words to the song struck a few cords as well.

_"And I don't think that I'll see her again,_  
_But we shared a moment that will last 'til the end._

_You're beautiful. You're beautiful._  
_You're beautiful, it's true._  
_I saw your face in a crowded place,_  
_And I don't know what to do,_  
_'Cause I'll never be with you."_

These words were not missed by either of them.

"That really is our 'As time goes by', isn't it?" Brooke said with a shallow voice.

Jordan pulled up along side Brooke's Jeep.

"You know, I had a feeling she was in this garage, which is exactly why I came to it last. This doesn't have to end here." Jordan said, his voice shaking a little bit.

"What do you mean, Jordan?" Brooke asked, confused by his words.

"I want to see you again. This was the most fun I have had in a really long time." He said while looking into her eyes. He reached over for her hands, "I feel like I was meant to meet you tonight, please leave me your number so this is not the last time I see you."

"Can I see your phone?" Brooke asked, her smile being contagious and causing Jordan to smile.

She quickly added herself to his contacts and gave him his phone back.

"There. Now you can contact me whenever you chose to." Brooke giggled.

He put his hands on both of her cheeks and looked at her lips, then back to her eyes, as if he was asking for permission to kiss her. Brooke nodded as quickly as she could. He smiled and bent down to meet her lips with his own. It was a gentle kiss, which was perfect for the moment. He pulled back and smiled at her as she opened up her door to get out.

"Here's looking at you, kid." He said before she shut the door.

Brooke drove off and replayed the past couple hours in her head. She had never been so happy before. Now, she just had to keep herself busy so she didn't go crazy waiting for his call.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing mentioned in the story!


End file.
